Robb Report, October 1999

The Finest Antique Dealers in the World

To reach the pinnacle of any profession takes decades of experience and an unyielding passion for your chosen line of work. This is especially true of the world's top antique dealers who scour the globe searching for impeccable craftsmanship hidden within the dusty racks of discarded wares. To survive, they must develop a keen eye for beauty and a talent to compare and judge quality almost instantaneously. Many of today's premier dealers have had the good fortune of learning their trade from their fathers and grandfathers. Others are collectors who simply can not stop. Living on an eternal treasure hunt, they spend their waking hours relentlessly searching for art and objects with a special provenance. All of these dealers have connections around the world who know, that if they find something special, will pay for that object on the spot.

•   Axel Vervoordt, Antwerp, Belgium
•   Partridge Fine Arts, London, England
•   S.J. Shrubsole, New York, New York
•   Ariane Dandois, Paris, France
•   The Textile Gallery, London, England
•   Friman & Stein, New York, New York

Axel Vervoordt, Antwerp, Belgium

Unlike most purveyors of fine antiques, Axel Vervoordt has no specialty. "I really don't care if its sculpture from the Roman Empire, 17th-century Ming porcelain, or a Modigliani painting, it must have some magical quality, a universal spirit that speaks to all ages," says the 50 year-old Vervoordt, adding that the only item he particularly dislikes are clocks. "Clocks are too busy measuring time. I'm looking for things that are timeless."

Vervoordt's 12th-century castle on the outskirts of Antwerp is a testament to his incredible zeal for collecting. More than sixty rooms stand as a priceless museum devoted to every period imaginable. "There's a Medieval part, 16th-century rooms, 17th, 18th, 19th, you name it," Vervoordt says matter-of-factly. All this started when a 14-year-old Vervoordt visited London to find a decent desk. He returned instead with bronze candlestick holders and a piece of silver for his bedroom. He has since moved on to purchase the entire Hatcher Find of Ming porcelain which was resting in a capsized ship at the bottom of the South China Sea for some 340 years. Brought back to the surface, this thousand piece collection was sold by Christies in Amsterdam for $2.8 million in 1985. Amongst his 12,000 items currently in stock are 17th-century terra cotta, an 1810 Empire crystal chandelier created in France, and a painting by the contemporary Italian artist, Fontana.

"I've always bought things I wanted to live with, whether it's a simple basket or a Picasso," he states. Surrounded by items he adores, Vervoordt doesn't mind if you return objects purchased from him. "This is my home, not a store," he concedes. "Each piece has rightful place if they want to come home." Twice a year, in early summer and early winter, Vervoordt opens up his castle to the general public, but serious connoisseurs can call at any time to set up an appointment.

Partridge Fine Arts, London, England

As the fourth-generation heir apparent to Britain's largest dealer in antique furniture, Frank Partridge has good reason to be optimistic about his future. "It's a fascinating world to be involved in, owning beautiful things," says the upper-crust 48-year-old. His enthusiasm stems from his namesake, great-grandfather Frank Partridge, a high-spirited man who supposedly made his daily entrance to work by turning a few cartwheels. Not because he had just made a stellar sale, but for sheer exuberance of being in a business he relished. The elder Partridge founded the gallery in 1900 and, within days, local Lords were soon appearing at his doorstep. Indeed, the clientele over the century has included Queen Mary and other royalty, and museums worldwide.

They come to the gallery on New Bond Street to see some of the highest quality workmanship found in England and France during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In any one room, there is likely to be a breathtaking mixture of treasures-Louis XV and Louis XVI commodes; one of the two great Meissen dinner services in the world; an eighteenth-century clock by the master clockmaker James Cox. Prices range from $1500 for a piece of silver to more than a million pounds for an 18th-century secretaire.

Frank Partridge states that even with volatile stock markets worldwide, the antiques business will continue to flourish. "It's much nicer to live in a beautiful environment than an ugly environment. It's as simple as that, really" he says.

S.J. Shrubsole, New York, New York

Like Frank Partridge, Eric Norman Shrubsole was born into a family of British antique dealers. His father opened a shop in London in 1912 and Eric opened a second branch on Madison Avenue in New York in 1936. Asked if he still enjoyed the business after six decades, Shrubsole replied, "Very much so. That's why I'm still working every day at the age of 86." His specialty is 17th and 18th-century English silver and Early American silver, though he adds that American objects are extremely hard to find. "American silver of great importance may be unmarked or marked so faintly as to pass unnoticed into the smelters," says Shrubsole. He recently sold a water jug created by Paul Revere for over six figures. "Every day Revere went out to dinner, he would bring that jug with him," Shrubsole notes.

Shrubsole's substantial stock of Georgian, Queen Anne, and Charles II silver includes four mugs by Britain's greatest goldsmith, Paul de Lameire (each piece sells for over $100,000), and a pair of wine coolers belonging to the Prime Minister of England in 1804 ($500,000). "His Arms were meticulously applied to the glasses," Shrubsole says with an almost boyish pleasure.

Ariane Dandois, Paris, France

In a business proliferating with magisterial males, some as stodgy as the millenium-old statues they sell, most buyers are pleasantly surprised when they meet the elegant and gracious Ms. Dandois at her gallery in Paris' Left Bank. Dandois, 54, has been a major player in Oriental art since she opened her shop in 1973, selling her first piece, an Indian head of Shiva, to a designer named Yves Saint Laurent. Dealing largely in Japanese screens, Chinese furniture, and Indian sculpture dating from the 1st to 8th centuries, Dandois' clientele quickly grew, attracting the biggest names in fashion, business, and society. They include Bill Blass, Ronald Perelman, Henry Kravis, and Anne Bass.

In the mid-80s, Dandois' inventory expanded to include late 18th-century and early 19th-century European furniture. Not just classical French and English pieces, but original works from Russia, Hungary, and Sweden. "The amusing part is the search," Dandois explains. "I travel all over the world buying what I love without any limits or restrictions." More than 80 percent of her clients are Americans. "They are very open to ideas, willing to mix items from different countries and periods," says Dandois. Her clientele is so loyal that they often return to her gallery to furnish their second homes, even children's homes. "I'm more than happy to help," she says.

The Textile Gallery, London, England

In 1969, nineteen-year-old Michael Franses made the bold move to quit his uncle's highly reputable textile business (S. Franses) and start his own venture. Wisely, he decided not to compete directly with his former boss. While S. Franses specialized in Renaissance tapestries and European carpets, young Michael went East and began to acquire Chinese carpets from the 15th to 17th centuries. Today, Franses, owner of The Textile Gallery, is one of the preeminent scholars on Oriental carpets in the world. He has written over ten books on the subject and has sold several of his findings to such prestigious institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris.

Operating out of his private home, Franses usually has 300-400 carpets in stock, ranging from $25,000-$500,000. They include early 17th-century silk Chinese dais carpets, a 17th-century Chinese wool pile cover created for a raised bed, and a 16th-century Chinese carpet used in Beijing's Imperial Palace for the Wanli emperor (1573-1620). Several more of his pieces come from 18th and 19th century Central Asia. Franses also formed a textile conservation studio called Longevity that works with many of the leading private collectors in the world.

Sadly, few of Franses' fellow Brits share his enthusiasm in applied arts. "Very little English collect anything outside of fine arts." Yet, Franses seems undeterred. On the contrary, he's elated about the carpet market these days. "More and more, we are seeing rarefied things that have not been viewed for over 300 years," he says.

Friman & Stein, New York, New York

"We'd love to deal in more estate jewelry, but it comes on the market very infrequently," says Elliot Friman, co-owner of Friman & Stein. Friman, 47, certainly has his share of art deco rings and pins in his Fifth Avenue office, but he's best known for his large selection of color stones and loose diamonds. Top dealers and auction houses, like Skinner in Boston, call on Friman when they're in desperate need of a 5-carat round diamond or a 10-carat marquis. Opened in 1940 by Elliot's dad, Friman & Stein's stones are known for their high quality. Prices start at $1000 for a small pendent and go as high as $1.35 million for a diamond pin.